News

Apple vs. Apple: iTunes exec takes witness stand

By LC Angell ● Monday, April 3, 2006

Eddie Cue, vice president of iTunes at Apple Computer, took the witness stand Monday to defend his company in the trademark lawsuit brought on by The Beatles’ Apple Corps. Cue testified that Apple Computer did not violate a 1991 agreement between the two companies by using the Apple logo on the iTunes Music Store. Apple Corps lawyer Geoffrey Vos asked Cue to confirm that the iTunes Music Store had offered exclusive songs from artists such as U2 and Bob Dylan. “We have tracks that are temporarily exclusive to us in the Music Store, and so do most of the other services,” Cue said in the High Court in London. James Hoffman, CEO of Woodstock Systems, testified earlier on behalf of Apple Corps that Apple Computer converts its music files into a proprietary format to restrict how they are used.

Comments

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I wondered if Apple Corps would bring up the ‘iTunes Exclusives’ music…guess now I know.

Music exclusive to download only (whether iTunes or any other service), has ALWAYS been the thing that torqued me, since I’m a CD/vinyl devotee. Green Day’s ‘I Fought The Law’ is a great reinterpretation of The Clash’s version, but the only way one could get it is buying it via iTMS. (Yes, I KNOW Apple and Pepsi used it for their download promotion, but still…it’s not like iTMS was GIVING AWAY the song.)

Posted by flatline response on April 3, 2006 at 4:02 PM (CDT)

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I wonder why they call it a music “store” anyway, since you do not own what you pay for in the itunes “store”?

A license allowing some extrenely limited forms of listening can hardly be called “owning” something?

Especially, since you cannot sell the license to someone else later.

Posted by Jonas on April 4, 2006 at 6:43 AM (CDT)

1

I dont think Apple is gonna win. ;0)

Posted by ahMEmon on April 4, 2006 at 9:44 AM (CDT)

1

is the the problem is the use of the apple logo in the music store? When i buy songs from iTMS, I only see the logo in the top in the little box that displays track information, and that is always there if no song is playing